Abstract: Engineers working on modern, large FPGA designs face multiple challenges: changing languages, methodologies and tools implementing them. The fact that many designs now contain both hardware and software only adds to the confusion. This document tries to clarify the situation.

The increasing adoption of large, high-pin-count and high-speed FPGA devices means that right-first-time printed circuit board (PCB) design practices are more essential than ever for ensuring correct system operation. Typically, the PCB design takes place concurrently with the design and programming of the FPGA. Signal and pin assignments are initially made by the FPGA designer, and the board designer must correctly transfer these assignments to the symbols used in their system circuit schematics and board layout. As the board design progresses, pin reassignments may be needed to optimize the PCB layout. These reassignments must in turn be relayed back to the FPGA designer so that the new assignments can be processed through updated placement and routing of the FPGA design. To overcome these challenges, Zuken and Aldec provide an integrated design environment to support these design flows.

Growing customer requirements and technological abilities increase the design complexity of hardware and software. Time to market is shortening as well as the lifetime of new designs. In order to meet all those requirements a new approach to the design process is required.

Abstract: As the number of mobile and personal applications grows, usage of embedded processors becomes a necessity. New FPGA devices with so called soft or hard processor cores enable fast migration from the FPGA-only to the SoC applications and projects. This affects not only the hardware alone, but also the tools supporting the latest FPGA devices for SoC designers. Such tools are discussed within this document.

Abstract: PSL (Property Specification Language) is one of the easiest introductions to the world of design properties, assertions and coverage points to anybody familiar with Verilog HDL. The designer of a digital circuit has the best understanding of the operation of the circuit, which makes her or him the best person to define properties that will fire assertion messages in case of incorrect design behavior during simulation or provide valuable feedback to the testbench creator by showing that all desired behaviors were covered during verification. For this reason, the use of embedded PSL properties and assertions is highly beneficial to the engineers and makes their designs better.

Abstract: SVA (SystemVerilog Assertions) language is one of the easiest introductions to the world of design properties, assertions and coverage points to anybody familiar with Verilog HDL. The designer of a digital circuit has the best understanding of the operation of the circuit, which makes her or him the best person to define properties that will fire assertion messages in case of incorrect design behavior during simulation or provide valuable feedback to the testbench creator by showing that all desired behaviors were covered during verification. For this reason, the use of SVA properties and assertions directly in the design code is highly beneficial to the engineers and makes their designs better.

Abstract: PSL (Property Specification Language) is the easiest introduction to the world of design properties, assertions and coverage points to anybody familiar with VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language). The designer of a digital circuit has the best understanding of the operation of the circuit, which makes her or him the best person to define properties that will fire assertion messages in case of incorrect design behavior during simulation or provide valuable feedback to the testbench creator by showing that all desired behaviors were covered during verification. For this reason, the use of embedded PSL properties and assertions is highly beneficial to the engineers and makes their designs better.

Abstract: This paper presents a new approach in domain of high level digital circuits simulation and modeling that benefits from high level mathematical environment delivered by MATLAB. It allows to integrate design process and directly verify obtained results with mathematical formulas or complex operations that are not available in standard HDL languages. A part of HDL code can be placed for verification purposes inside the advanced mathematical model or can execute complex calculation. Paper presents problems that are introduced by hybrid simulation and modeling environment concerning data representation, simulation process and optimal performance.

Abstract: This paper describes the theoretical background, current status and future challenges facing interoperable cryptosystem for safe delivery of Intellectual Property (IP) to be used in VHDL and SystemVerilog design and verification. The system must be reliable, and interoperable, i.e. enable safe use of IP source in a variety of tools. IEEE P1735 Working Group currently develops proposed standard describing such a cryptosystem.

If you are new to DO-254, this white paper can serve as your starting point as you educate yourself with the guidance and regulation. This white paper provides an overview of RTCA/DO-254 purpose, scope and processes, and as well as description of Aldec’s specialized tools for DO-254 targeting DAL A and B PLDs.

Abstract: Modern digital designs reach the scale of complete systems and require support of Constrained Random Test and Functional Coverage in verification. Although VHDL does not have built-in, direct support for those methodologies, there are neat solutions that allow their quick implementation in your testbench.

Abstract: Growing customer requirements and technological abilities increase the design complexity of hardware and software. Time to market is shortening as well as the lifetime of new designs. In order to be able to meet all those requirements a new approach to the design process is required.

Abstract: Typical ASIC front-end and back-end implementation process involves HDL simulation as a method of verifying design netlist functionality at each stage of the flow. Although HDL simulation is considered accurate it suffers from very low execution speed.Aldec provides the DVM software that allows reusing your existing FPGA prototyping board as a platform for hardware acceleration of HDL simulation.

Abstract: Size of new designs has grown so much that it easily allows creation of the entire system containing microprocessor unit and peripherals on one chip. Verification of such designs can no longer rely on software only, since simulation of MPU does not allow fast enough testing of application software and formal tools handle system hardware only. The use of FPGA-based prototyping boards creates fast and economical solution to this problem. This paper presents one practical implementation of Prototyping Board Verification and Integration Platform.

Digital circuit designer very frequently faces the dilemma: how to implement arithmetic operations in his or her design. This article presets balanced solutions that provides high level of functionality and maintains decent readability of the code.